Cold cucumber soup side dish

Oi-naengguk 오이냉국

Are you looking for something refreshing, light, healthy, and cold cold cold? Yes, how about a cold cucumber side dish? In Korean it’s called oi-naengguk and it’s perfect for summer! The thin cucumber matchsticks soaked in icy cold, sweet, sour, salty, and garlicky brine will please your appetite. The cold temperature is a nice surprise and the crispy but soft texture of the cucumber is wonderful.

A great thing about this side dish is that you can make it in 5 minutes, and you don’t need to cook anything at all. Just cut the ingredients and mix.

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Make this in the summer time, and I guarantee everyone will love it. My cookbook co-writer, Lauren, learned how to make this when she was recipe testing, and got a ton of stars from her family when she served it. They are all fans of oi-naengguk now, and when the book was done Lauren told me it’s one of her favorite Korean dishes. I was surprised!

I originally posted an oi-naengguk video years ago, but this one is a little updated and is a vegetarian version, and the video is HD. If you’re looking for the old one, it’s still here.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 large English cucumber (12 ounces) or 2 to 3 kirby cucumbers, chilled

71 Comments:

Thank you, Maangchi! I made this as a starter for a big dinner for my Korean in-laws on a very hot day. It was so simple with basic ingredients we had on hand—and it was a big hit! They were impressed that I have such a “sense for Korean food” even though I am American. They don’t know you are my secret weapon. Thanks again!!

When I was in Korea my aunt made this for me with seaweed. Do I just soak the seaweed in water before I add it to the cucumbers? It was one of my favorite things to eat since I visited in the summer but my mom doesn’t make it here in the US lol.

Yes, I sometimes add seaweed (miyeok) to my oinaengguk, too. Here is the photo of dried miyeok. https://www.maangchi.com/ingredient/miyuk
I soak it for 30 minutes in cold water and blanch in hot water for 20 to 30 seconds. Then the miyeok will turn bright green. Rinse it in cold water and chop it up and add. Good luck with making oi-miyeok naengguk! : )